Folding box.



H. J. WILLIAMS.

FOLDING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1012.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

fi messes Q.

' accordance with my invention.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAMS FOLDINGBOX COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FOLDING BOX.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IIENRY J. \VILLIAMS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Folding Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to boxes, the term being employed in a broad senseto cover receptacles whose Walls are continuous or imperforate, or whichare made with clear spaces therebetween as in the formation of crates,for example.

As the invention is preferably practised, the box includes six wallswhereby the box contents may be completely closed, though the inventionis not to be limited to the presence of a wall that serves completely toclose the box.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the body of the box isformed of four walls and which are hinged together at the corners of thebox body so'that said box body may readily be collapsed, though theinvention is not to be restricted to a collapsible box body and thenumber of its walls. This box body has one or two complemental wallportions secured thereto in As my invention is preferably practised eachbox wall, which is to be secured in position with respect to the balanceof the box structure, is provided with one element of a fastening devicewhich is adjacent to a box body wall provided with a complementalelement of such fastening device, this complemental element beingprovided upon a marginal portion of the box wall which carries it andwhich marginal portion is springlike or resilient. By means of asuitable tool the resilient box wall portion may be flexed from itsnormal plane so as to enable the elements of the fastening device to beplaced in suitable alinement whereafter these fastening elements may bemutually engaged when the flexed box wall portion is relieved of itsflexing influence. lVhere the box body and each wall portion to beapplied thereto are to be adapted for complete separation there areassociate duplicated fastening devices upon opposite sides of the boxbody.

I will explain my invention more fully Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1912.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

Serial No. 709,275.

by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferredembodiment thereof and in Which Figure l is a perspective view of a boxconstructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview illustrating the box body in collapsed position; Fig. 3 is aperspective view of one of the wall portions to be applied to the boxbody; Fig. 4. is a sectional view taken on line L 4: of Fig. 1; and Fig.5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. 7

Like parts are indicated by similar charactors of reference throughoutthe different figures.

The box body includes two side walls 1 and two end walls 2, the sidewalls being articulated with the end walls, at the corners of the boxbody by means of staples 3 (Figs. 1 and 5) whereby the box body may becollapsed into the shape illustrated by Fig. 2. I have shown each sidewall 1 with spring cleats l margining its top and bottom horizontaledges to make the top and bottom edge portions of the side walls of thebox sufficiently springlike or resilient to ac- -complish the object ofmy invention. I do not limit myself however to the provision of theextra pieces t. Each piece 4 that is to be brought into fixed relationwith a box wall is provided with one element 5 of some suitable form offastening device, such as an angular metal clip. The vertical portionsof the clips 5 are fastened to their complemental spring supports 4while the horizontal portions of these clips are removed suflicientlyaway from the spring elements 4 as to permit the reception ofcomplemental elements 6 of the fastening devices between the elements 5and the box body, these complemental elements 6 being desirably in theform of strips which margin the side edges. of the box wall or walls 7to be held in position though I do not limit myself to the provision ofthe extra strips 6 for the purpose of my invention. As the invention isembodied the strips 6 are received between the horizontal portions ofthe fastening elements 5 and the box body, the box body being thusentirely interposed between the strips 6 at the top of the box and thestrips 6 at the bottom of the box, though of course the invention is notto be limited to this arrangement. When the box body is collapsible theportions of the top and bottom walls? that carry the fastening elements6are surrounded by the box body and engage the walls thereof (Fig. 4)thereby further to assure the maintenance of the angular relationbetween the walls of the box body.

In assembling the parts, the box body is first placed in normal shape,if the box body is collapsed, whereafter the portion 6 of the wall to beadded is tucked between the horizontal member of one fastening element 5and the box body, whereafter a tool 8 is brought to bear upon the springmember 4 carrying the fastening element 5 opposite the aforesaidfastening element 5, as illustrated in Fig. 1, to spring said oppositefastening element 5 outwardly clear of the wall to be added, the tool 8being disengaged when the wall to be added is placed in proper posit-ionand with its portion 6 in line with the space intervening between saidopposite fastening element 5 and the adjacent edge of the box body, theresilience of the previously flexed spring member 4 becoming effectiveto move the fastening element 5 supported thereby into position with itshorizontal portion over the complemental fastening element.

It will be observed that the fastening elements 5 are of limited lengthand that they are disposed at intermediate portions of their supportingspring members 4 so that the ends of these fastening elements 5 may bemoved clear of the space occupied or to .be occupied by the wall portionor portions to be added or fastened to the box body.

The fastening elements 5 are desirably of f metal and are thus madeseparately from the balance of the box structure, though I do not limitmyself to these characteristics.

After the parts of the box have been assembled, nails 9 may be driventhrough the horizontal portions of the elements 5 into the elements 6.One of the elements 5, only, has the nails 9 shown in connectiontherewith, the illustration of the nails and the holes therefore beingomitted elsewhere for the sake of clearness. It is obvious that when thenails 9 or other fastening elements are withdrawn the box may readily beopened, the process of assembly being reversed in opening the box.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferredembodiment of the invention I do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction shown as changes may readily be made withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof, but

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent the following 1. A box structure including a box body;a box wall to be secured thereto; and a fastening device havingcomplemental elements upon adjacent portions of the box body and thewall to be fixed with respect thereto, the

element of the fastening device upon the box body being in the form ofan angular clip having one branch upon the box body and its other branchspaced apart from the box body for the reception between it and the boxbody of the complemental fastening element, the portion of the box bodycarrying said clip being resilient and movable from the other wallportion upon being outwardly flexed so as to permit movement of the clipfrom its normal fastening position, the clip being located at the middlepart of said resilient portion to permit clearance of this clip from itsoperative position.

2. A box structure including a box body; a box wall to be securedthereto; and a fastening device having complement-a1 elements uponadjacent portions of the box body and the wall to be fixed with respectthereto, the element of the fastening device upon the box body being inthe form of an angular clip having one branch upon the box body and itsother branch spaced apart from the box body for the reception between itand the box body of the complemental fastening element, the portion ofthe box body carrying said clip being resilient and movable from theother wall portion upon being outwardly flexed so as to permit movementof the clip from its normal fastening position.

3. A box structure including a box body; a box wall to be securedthereto; and a fastening'device having complemental elements uponadjacent portions of the box body and the wall to be fixed with respectthereto, the portion of the box body having one of said elements beingresilient and movable from the other wall portion upon being outwardlyfiexed to permit of the proper relative positioning of said elements,the fastening element provided upon the resilient portion being locatedat the middle part of said resili- 4. A box structure including a boxbody;

a box wall to be secured thereto; and a fastening device havingcomplemental elements upon adjacent portions of the box body and thewall to be fixed with respect thereto, the portion of the box bodyhaving one of said elements being resilient and movable from the otherwall portion upon being outwardly flexed to permit of the properrelative positioning of said elements.

5. A box structure having two wall portions which are to be fastenedtogether and including a fastening device having complemental elementsupon adjacent parts of said wall portions, the wall portion carrying oneof said fastening elements being resilient and movable from the otherwall portion upon being outwardly flexed, whereby the complementalelement-s of said fastening de vice may be separated in order toestablish tions which are to be fastened together and including afastening device having complemental elements upon adjacent parts ofsaid wall portions, the wall portion carrying one of said fasteningelements being resilient and movable from the other wall portion uponbeing outwardly flexed whereby the eomplemental elements of saidfastening device may be separated in order to establish proper relationtherebetween.

' In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this ninth day ofJuly A. D., 1912.

HENRY J. WVILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

E'rm L. \VIIITE, G. L. CRAGG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C.

